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As if seniors didn't already have enough to worry about as thecoronavirus shuts down the economy and threatens their verysurvival, now comes a new worry. The Trump White House is chasingafter another payroll tax cut, in the form of employercontributions to Social Security, that critics say would gut thesystem.

A Common Dreams report points out that not only does Trump favoryet another cut to the taxes that fund the Social Security program,but he's also proclaiming a desire to see it cut permanently—a movethat would slash the trust fund that pays out earned benefits toseniors every month.

Progressive advocacy group Social Security Works has warned onTwitter that Trump's remarks about the "so-called 'payroll taxholiday' has nothing to do with helping workers and everything todo with undermining Social Security," adding, "Trump wants topermanently cut payroll contributions—code for gutting SocialSecurity's dedicated funding as an pretext to demand benefitcuts."

Trump has talked up the idea with Republican lawmakers, and isquoted in the report saying, "The payroll tax cut would be a greatthing for this country. I would like to have it regardless of [thecoronavirus crisis]." Such a plan would put the lie to his claimsof "saving" Social Security, since it would undercut the fund fromwhich benefits are paid.

The provision already inserted into the existing coronaviruslegislation lets employers stop paying payroll taxes till at leastthe end of this year, which already poses a threat to the SocialSecurity system. Progressives characterized the move as an"insidious" attack on the system's long-term funding.

According to a Washington Post report, Trump is also talking upthe notion of a capital gains tax cut as part of whatever stimulusmeasure is devised next.